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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E362-E363]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING ROY BENAVIDEZ
______
HON. MICHAEL CLOUD
of texas
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Mr. CLOUD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize Master
Sergeant Roy Benavidez.
My district is proud to claim as one of our own Master Sergeant Roy
Benavidez, a Medal of Honor recipient who is among the most
distinguished heroes in American history. On the occasion of the Roy P.
Benavidez Memorial Highway Dedication, I would like to recognize once
more a man who exemplified courage, sacrifice, and unbreakable
determination.
Sergeant Benavidez, of El Campo, Texas, was orphaned at a young age
and dropped
[[Page E363]]
out of middle school to support his family before answering the call to
service in Vietnam. He recovered from a land mine injury to become a
Green Beret, and when a call for help came in, he voluntarily boarded a
rescue helicopter and put his own life on the line to save his fellow
soldiers.
Sergeant Benavidez was shot in the head and the leg but continued
working to load the wounded onto the helicopter. As the helicopter took
off, the pilot was killed, and the helicopter crashed. Sergeant
Benavidez heroically carried his wounded comrades off the helicopter
and spent what he described as ``six hours in hell'' returning fire,
calling in airstrikes, caring for the wounded, and even recovering
classified documents. He was shot multiple times, bayoneted, clubbed,
and hit by fragments from a grenade, before finally dragging the
soldiers he came to rescue onto a second evacuation helicopter. He
saved the lives of at least eight men.
In 1981, Sergeant Benavidez received the Medal of Honor from
President Reagan, who noted that ``if the story of his heroism were a
movie script, you would not believe it.'' His Medal of Honor citation
declared that his ``fearless personal leadership, tenacious devotion to
duty, and extremely valorous actions in the face of overwhelming odds
were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.''
But his challenges were not over. Two years later, he received notice
that his disability benefits were to be cut off, despite shrapnel in
his heart and constant pain. So he went before Congress on behalf of
his fellow veterans, asking ``if they can do this to me, what will they
do to all the others?'' Thanks to the efforts of Sergeant Benavidez,
the President became personally involved in the situation, and the
Department of Health and Human Services announced reforms to the review
process.
He devoted the rest of his life to service, speaking to students
about the importance of education and inspiring American troops around
the world.
Sergeant Benavidez was a model of bravery and selfless sacrifice, and
it is right and fitting to recognize his heroism by dedicating the Roy
P. Benavidez Memorial Highway in his honor. May this highway serve not
only as a memorial to a great man but as an inspiration to his fellow
Texans to live with the same spirit of courage and service.
____________________